December 17, 2015

Holiday Cookie Challenge Day 3: Spiced Brown Butter Linzer Cookies

Bon Appétit (December 2015)

We did not take this photo of these beautiful Spiced Brown Butter Linzer Cookies.

This photo was taken by #BittenCookieChallenge participant Linda, who reported that the cookies are "time consuming but not difficult and the dough doesn't roll out easily. But this was a festive cookie to make, bakes evenly and overall tasted good (soft interior, slight crunchy exterior and right amount of spice)."

We bow down to Linda, because, well, here's the photo we took, which documents just how far we got in making these cookies:

Yep, that's our dough, all crumbly and impossible to roll out. We are actually somewhat embarrassed to be posting this photo, given that it was our thirdconsecutive cookie fail in one day. But by this point in the baking endeavor, we knew it was time to call it quits (or consider divorce).

Obviously we failed, but plenty of better-skilled Bitten Bakers did not. Here's what they had to say:

Lisa: This is a very rich and tasty cookie. It is not difficult, but is a time consuming recipe as the dough needs to be chilled twice. Having four cookie sheets would be helpful.

Ramona: "[Our dough] stayed hard as a rock, and shattered when we tried to roll it flat. So we gave up and baked it in shattered pieces, then served the cookies with whipped cream and strawberry lemon marmalade. They were a hit, everyone loved the flavor, from the 3yo to the 91yo! If even make them again, I just wouldn't even bother trying to roll them. They're delicious as shortbread cookies!

Amburger: Beautiful, with a unique flavor, but ultimately not worth how fussy and tedious they are to make.

TokyoDayTrips: These cookies are pretty awesome. Linzer cookies are one of my favorites and this version is rich and delicious. The dough is warm and satisfying, a nice contrast to the jelly and powered sugar. It's a satisfying cookie without being cloyingly sweet.

Asa: Overall was a lot of work and the dough was hard to work with. Brought them to family dinner though and they were a hit! They taste great, which I suppose they should for three sticks of butter. I'd give the recipe a B or B-

And here are some beautiful photos of these cookies that Bitten Word readers have posted on Instagram:

A 3x1½-inch cookie cutter or other similarly sized shape and 1-inch and 1½-inch cookie cutters

METHOD

Cook butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl; let cool. Whisk salt, baking powder, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and 3¾ cups flour in a medium bowl to combine.

Add granulated sugar and lemon zest to butter; scrape in vanilla seeds and discard pod. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg, then yolks. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in 3 batches, incorporating after each addition.

Turn out dough onto a surface and knead until no dry spots remain. Divide in half and form into ¾"-thick disks. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°. Let 1 disk of dough sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, shifting often on sheet and dusting with more flour as needed to keep from sticking, until about ⅛" thick. Cut into desired shapes with cutters; transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing ½" apart. Gather scraps, reroll, and cut out more shapes. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. (Make sure to cut out an even number.)

Comments

Holiday Cookie Challenge Day 3: Spiced Brown Butter Linzer Cookies

Bon Appétit (December 2015)

We did not take this photo of these beautiful Spiced Brown Butter Linzer Cookies.

This photo was taken by #BittenCookieChallenge participant Linda, who reported that the cookies are "time consuming but not difficult and the dough doesn't roll out easily. But this was a festive cookie to make, bakes evenly and overall tasted good (soft interior, slight crunchy exterior and right amount of spice)."

We bow down to Linda, because, well, here's the photo we took, which documents just how far we got in making these cookies:

Yep, that's our dough, all crumbly and impossible to roll out. We are actually somewhat embarrassed to be posting this photo, given that it was our thirdconsecutive cookie fail in one day. But by this point in the baking endeavor, we knew it was time to call it quits (or consider divorce).

Obviously we failed, but plenty of better-skilled Bitten Bakers did not. Here's what they had to say: